The Zombie Chronicles - Book 2 (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) (12 page)

“
Without a doubt,” he answered, stuffing the tracker inside a pillow. “According to my device, the idiot’s here.”

Claire immediately stopped the vehicle.

I shot Nick a look. “They’ll kill Val the second they see she’s a zombie.”

“
My thoughts exactly, and we can’t let them see her with a sack over her head either,” he said, taking it off and throwing a dusty green blanket over her.

“
What good’s that gonna do?” Claire asked through the partition window.

“
Yeah, that’ll never work!” Jackie suddenly raced out of the passenger side of the pick-up truck and jumped in the back with us as the military vehicles headed steadily in our direction. “I’ve got an idea!”

“
What?” I asked.

“
I’ll play the ditzy card and get under the covers with Val. We’ll tell ‘em we girls are embarrassed to come out because of how dirty and awful we look. We can blame it on a bad hair day!” She slipped into the covers next to Val.

“
Think they’ll buy it?” Nick asked.

“
Yep!” she retorted.

I knew some girls who wouldn’t leave the house without makeup, so I had to hope her ploy would work, even though I didn’t think Jackie could ever look awful. “Val’s gagged and everything, so you won’t get bitten.”

“
That doesn’t mean she can’t scratch me,” Jackie said.

“
She’s tied up pretty tight,” Nick assured her.

Jackie glanced up at him. “Yeah? Well, I’m not taking any chances.”

“
They’re coming!” Claire said, gripping the steering wheel as she glanced over her shoulder at us.

I glanced around for something to cover Val’s hands.

“
Just use the sack that covered her face,” Claire yelled through the open back window.

“
Got it!” Jackie said. She grabbed the burlap sack and put it over Val’s hands, then pulled the cord tightly, tying it in a knot.

Nick covered the girls up as I held my breath, wondering how it was all going to play out. The trucks squealed to a halt as armed soldiers fanned out around us. The blanket over Val’s head seemed to calm her.

“
Put your hands up in the air!” one of them shouted.

I slowly raised my arms. We all knew it was best to act like naïve drifters, just trying to survive another day. If the troops discovered that we were there like bounty hunters, looking for someone in their custody, they’d never let us enter. “We’re just lookin’ for some food and a place to sleep for the night,” I lied.

“
You got weapons?” a man shouted.

“
Of course,” I said. “Martial law has been declared. How do you think we survived all those zombie attacks out there?”

“
We’ll need you to hand them all over,” a soldier said. “You can have them back on your way out or if you don’t pass inspection at the clinic.”

Soldiers rummaged through our stuff and took our entire arsenal. I hoped they weren’t lying and would give us our guns back before we left. There was no way I was going to go out amongst the cannibals unarmed.

“
Any of you been bitten or scratched?” the voice asked.

“
No,” Nick said.

“
So you’re only here for sanctuary?”

I nodded. “Yes, just one night. We’re passing through, and we’ll be on our way tomorrow.” I figured that would get us plenty of time to find Tahoe, without arousing too much suspicion. For a moment, I considered telling them a thief had entered their town, carrying a bag of vials that might be the cure to the virus. I was sure having the military on our side would be a huge benefit.
But what if they snatch the vials away from Tahoe and leave us out in the cold?
I reasoned, knowing there’d be no hope for Val then. We couldn’t take any chances—with her life or our own.

“
You can put your hands down now,” a soldier said.

Another soldier peered over the rim of the truck bed. “What you got hiding under the covers?”

My jaw dropped as he pointed his gun straight at the girls. Any second, the soldier could uncover our secret, and we’d all be doomed and caught in our lies.

Lucas draped himself over Val under the covers. “Come on, babe,” he said. “Don’t be shy. Nobody cares how bad your hair looks right now.”

“
No! I’m not coming out,” Jackie hissed. “I have no makeup on, and I stink worse than the zombies!”

“
Yeah, we all stink. We haven’t had a shower in days.” Lucas popped his head up. “A zombie apocalypse, and the girl’s still worried about clear skin and smelling like daisies. Can you believe that? I tried to tell her I love her just the way she is, bad skin and all, but she’s all embarrassed about it.”

“
Hey! I heard that!” Jackie said.

“
My sister and her friend have horrible acne.” I laughed. “Unfortunately, there’s no pimple cream out here in Zombie Land.”

“
Very funny!” Jackie said.

“
Val, don’t be like this,” Lucas pleaded. “The officer just wants to say hello. Besides, you look absolutely stunning, even if you haven’t washed your hair in months.” In an Oscar-worthy performance, he leaned down and acted as if she was whispering to him, then answered, “No, your breath isn’t
that
bad.” He looked at the soldier and said under his breath, “Pewww!”

I chuckled. “Aren’t those lovebirds just adorable?”

“
Tell the girls to come out,” the soldier demanded, meeting my gaze.

“
No! We look and smell horrible,
” Jackie said, slowly slipping the covers down. “Please try to understand,” she pleaded before throwing the cover back over her head.

“
How many girls are under there?” the soldier asked.

Claire slammed the truck door shut and walked over. “Hey, leave my friends alone. Can’t you tell they’re embarrassed? Look at us! We’re filthy.”

The soldiers immediately pointed their weapons at Claire, but she didn’t care and just kept up with her charade, trying to take their attention off Jackie and Val.

She placed her hands on her hips. “We need showers and clean clothes…and we’re starving. Think you can recommend a great place for a lady to eat and get a drink?”

“
Are your friends as hot as you?” a soldier in the group said, eyeing her up and down, looking like he was ready to gobble her up head to toe. If I didn’t know better, I might have mistaken him for a zombie by that hungry way he was looking at her.

“
No way,” she said, flashing a brilliant white grin. “If you want hot, you talk to me.”

The soldiers
all guffawed, laughed, and focused all their attention on Claire.
Seduction! The oldest trick in the book.
The men relaxed a bit and dropped their guard, putting down the guns they’d been aiming at us.

A man with a buzz haircut cupped Claire’s face. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

She swallowed nervously. “Claire O’ Hara.”

I wanted the bulldog-faced brute to get away from her. Something protective swelled up in me, and I wanted to get up and pound the idiot. I didn’t like where it was going, not one tiny bit. I thought maybe flirtation wasn’t the route to go. I clenched my fists, fearing for her safety.
If they attack her…
I glanced at Nick, horrified. He nodded slowly, signaling that it was best if I play along. Even though I didn’t want to, I knew my big brother knew best, so I held my temper in check.

“
Mmm, that’s sexy,” the soldier said. “Maybe we can hook up later tonight.”

She winked. “You never know, soldier boy.”

“
That’s enough, Sergeant,” said the man who appeared to be in charge. He was built like a football player, with massive, muscular arms. He motioned Claire back into the driver’s seat, then looked at me. “What are your names? Start with the girls who are hiding.”

I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that Claire was now safe in the driver’s seat.
Thank goodness!
I let out a sigh of relief.

“
I need names,” the man demanded, climbing into the truck bed.

“
Val Peterson and Jackie Shadows,” Nick said.

He jotted them down, then glanced at me. “And you?”

“
Dean Walters, and this is my friend, Lucas Meadows, and my brother, Nick Walters.”

He jotted down some more notes, then peered down at the girls under the dusty blankets. “Ladies, you’re not gonna look like cover girls during the zombie apocalypse. You’d do well to come to terms with it.”

“
Why not?” Jackie asked, peeking her head out to meet his penetrating gaze.

“
Because life, as we used to know it, has changed,” the man said. “If you don’t get with the times, you’ll never survive out here. You might be good at handling your mascara brush, but you’d be better off handling a gun out here,” he scolded, and the other soldiers broke out into a fit of laughter.

I knew Jackie had to be boiling from the snide remark, but she bit her tongue and didn’t fire any sarcasm back at him. I was thankful for that.

“
Do you have friends or family nearby whom you can stay with?” the man asked.

“
No,” Nick said. “We have nowhere else to go. We’re counting on your compassion and hospitality, sir.”

“
Does anybody else know you’re here?” asked another soldier, who’d decided to climb in the truck bed with us. “This isn’t a homeless shelter, and we can’t be opening the doors to all your friends and family. We’re a very private town.”

“
Nobody knows about your precious town,” Nick snapped. “We didn’t say a word to anyone.”

The soldier smiled. “Good.” He peered up at the officer who appeared to be in charge. “I’d say they’re
perfect
guests for Kingsville. What do you wanna do, sir?”

The man in charge eyed all of us. “Cause any trouble, and there’ll be consequences. I promise you that.”

“
The last thing we want is trouble,” I said, and I meant it, even though I was sure there was plenty of trouble on the horizon for us—at least until we got those vials back.

“
You can stay, pending inspection by the clinic,” he said. “Nobody goes any farther without an examination. Drive on over there,” he said, pointing to a small green building. “If you pass, you’ll be given an orange slip with a stamp on it. Report back over here with that, and we’ll let you in.”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

All the troops went back to their respective posts, and we parked behind the building so there’d be no chance they’d see Val if she started her antics.

Jackie hopped out. “How’s she gonna pass a physical?”

“
Only one of us has to pass,” Claire said. “Whoever does can follow the tracker to Tahoe and take back the vials. I personally hope it’s me, because I’m gonna kick him in the nuts so hard he’ll be sneezing them out his nose.”

“
Not if I beat you to it,” Jackie said.

We couldn’t leave Val in the back of the pickup; she was too visible. Lucas suggested we put her in the cab. Nick and Lucas lifted her out of the truck and handed her to Jackie, Claire, and me. In that very instant, the bindings on her feet broke. She head-butted me, and while stars danced in my vision, she stumbled away. Nick grabbed her around the waist, and she thrashed her legs, sending both of them stumbling and tumbling to the ground. I ran over with some rope and began tying her legs, while Lucas, Jackie, and Claire threw their weight on top of her to hold her down.

I scrambled up and looked around to see if any soldiers were nearby. Thankfully, there was nobody in sight. I also looked for windows or security cameras, but I didn’t see any—another blessing. I scooted Val into the front seat of the truck and laid the same green blanket over her. She thrashed around as Nick put the sack back over her head, but once he had it on, she immediately calmed down. I let out a breath as I locked the doors, praying nobody would venture over there to investigate. Lucas had been making jokes about her bad skin, but the troops had no idea just how serious it was.